Tube compressor



April 29, 1958 R. H. GRIGSBY 2,832,560

TUBE COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 12, 1957 INVENTOR;

TUBE COMPRESSOR Robert H. Grigsby, Pennington Gap, Va.

Application February 12, 1957, Serial No. 639,661

3 Claims. (Cl. 251-9) This invention relates to a tube compressor adapted to be applied to a flexible tube to adjustably eontrol the iiow of a tluid therethrough.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a tube compressor which may be used on a hose to control flow in intravenous feeding.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tube compressor in which the pressure on the hose may be varied as desired.

A still 'further object of this invention is to provide a tube compressor which may be quickly and easily attached to and detached from a hose or other liexible tube.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my tube compressor;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, and showing my tube compressor applied to a hose leading from a source of fluid;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line limit of Figure 2, and showing the relationship of the clamping bolt to the clamping jaws; and

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the clamping bolt per se.

Referring now to the several views of the drawing, and particularly Figures l and 2, 2 represents the base plate or lower jaw of my tube compressor, and 4 the upper or movable jaw. The jaws 2 and 4 are loosely pivoted together by the bolt 6, or some equivalent fastening means so as to allow sufiicient play to enable the jaw 4 to rock on the lower jaw 2. As clearly shown in Figures l and 2, the lower plate or jaw 2 comprises a fiat elongated plate provided with an aperture 8 at one end to receive a finger of the operator while the compressor is being adjusted on a hose. The other end of the plate 2 is bifurcated to form a bolt receiving slot 10, and the portions 12 of the plate at the sides of the slot are bent at right angles to the plane of the plate to form stops to prevent outward movement of the clamping bolt 14, as clearly shown in Figures l and 2. A nut 16 is threaded on the bolt 14 and is adapted to bear on the upper face of the jaw 4 to force it toward the jaw 2 and into engagement with a hose 18 to compress the same.

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper jaw 4 is formed as an elongated plate bent between its ends to form a long arm or jaw proper 20 and a shorter arm 22, the juncture of these arms being substantially at the pivot 6. The outer end of the long arm 20 is provided with an opening 24 to receive the clamping bolt 14, while the outer end of the shorter arm has an aperture 26 to receive a hook on the upper end of a spring 28. The lower end of the spring 23 is also provided with a hook jaw 2 adjacent the finger aperture 8. The spring 28 is States Patent O ICC normally under tension and tends to urge the portion 20 of the jaw 4 outwardly on the bolt 14 and against the nut 16. As clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bolt 14 is of T-form and is arranged with `the head 32 of the 'r below the lower jaw 2 and inwardly of the depending portions 12, and with the stern 34 of the T extending through the slot 10 in the lower jaw and the opening 24 in the upper jaw.

The hose 18 is shown in Figure 2 as attached to a bottle or other container 36 and for the sake of clarity it is shown as bent at right angles adjacent the clamp to indicate the opening 38 therein.

From the above description of my compressor, it will be clear that the pressure on the hose may be varied by adjustment of the nut 16 up and down on the bolt 14, and that the spring 28 will serve to hold the head 32 of the bolt against the under side of the jaw 2 and the upper jaw 4 against the nut 16.

While the member 18 has been described as being a hose, it will be understood that my compressor or clamp may be used on any liexible pipe or tube. Further, the pivot 6 has been shown and described as being a bolt but it will be understood that a rivet or any equivalent pivot means could be used instead of a bolt.

The above description and drawing disclose one embodiment of the invention, and specific language has been employed in describing the figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, and various alterations and modiiications may be made as would occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

l. A tube compressor for a flexible tube comprising a substantially iiat elongated plate, one end portion of said plate forming a stationary clamping jaw, a second elongated plate of substantially L-shape overlying one side face of said first plate, the longer arm of said second plate forming an adjustable clamping jaw and extending over said stationary clamping jaw, the shorter arm of said second plate extending at an angle to said longer arm to form a spring mounting, a pivot means loosely connect ing said second plate to said first plate intermediate their ends to provide limited rocking movement of said seeond plate on said first plate, a tension spring connected to said shorter arm and said first plate to urge said shorter arm toward and said longer arm away from said first plate, a clamping bolt pivotally and detachably connected to the outer end of said stationary jaw, an opening in the outer end of said adjustable clamping jaw to receive the outer end of said bolt, and a nut on said bolt normally acting against the outer face of said adjustable clamping jaw to vary the distance between said jaws and in turn the deformation of a lleXible tube mounted therebetween.

2. A tube compressor as defined in claim l, wherein said first plate is provided with a finger aperture adjacent said spring.

3. A tube compressor as defined in claim 1, wherein said spring is a coiled spring having a hook at each end, and said short arm and said first plate are each provided with an opening to receive one of said hooks.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 502,003 Jeiery July 25, 1893 648,976 Mourad May 8, 1900 2,653,787 Myrick Sept. 29, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 604,686 Great Britain of 1948 

